YOU will probably never look at a shisha pipe in the same way again, but at least it’s a living testimony to the Asian contribution in Britain today.

Designed by Turner Prize winning artist Anish Kapoor and funded by global steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, the ArcelorMittal Orbit is the new icon of British Art created to rival the Eiffel Tower.

Standing at 115 metres high, the steel structure will tower over the 59 metre high Olympic stadium in Strafford and offer panoramic views of the Thames and Big Ben.

Nicknamed the Hubble Bubble, it will cost a total of £19 million to build, of which £16 million will be provided by Mittal.

It is intended to be a tourist attraction which will draw visitors to Strafford after the 2012 Olympics have ended.

But what is the relevance of a giant shisha pipe in the middle of the Olympic Stadium, you ask? There isn’t one and that’s why they call it art! In fact, Kapoor’s design beat 56 entries from some of the country’s top artists.

He said: “I am deeply honoured to be invited to undertake this challenging commission. I am particularly attracted to it because of the opportunity to involve members of the public in a particularly close and personal way. It is the commission of a lifetime.”

If you’re not jumping for joy at the site of the twisting tower, you’ll be pleased to know it’s functional. It will have a viewing platform and an outside walkway.

So the next time anyone asks you, ‘what have Asians done for this country,’ tell them to look up at the sky!

Anish Kapoor

Lakshmi Mittal